Convertible and portable top



H. S. THOMPSON. CDNVERTIBDE AND PORTABLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.3. 1920.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

yATTORNEYS H'. S. THOMPSON.

CONVERTIBLE AND PORTABLE TOP.

L IIT! LQ L I m@ I n Q. oww .IWI W .....H M rl@ um M n N\ 2 .w n m D1 APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, |920. 1,375,027.

INVENTOR MQ ATTORNEYS @FME HERBERT S. THOE'ISON, OF PEEKSKLL, NEVI YORK, ASSEGNOR TO THE STANDARD TEXT'JILE PRODUCTS COIVIPNY, OF YOUNGSTOW'N, OHIO, A CORPORATON OF OHIO.

CONVERTIBLE AND PORTABLE TOP.

imacat.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom, tf/nay concern:

Be it known that l, HERBERT S. THOMP- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Peekskill, county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lfmprovements in Convertible and Portable Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for converting an open carrier such as a railway car into a closed carrier. An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for this.'

purpose which may be readily applied to a railway car or other carrier and which at the same time may be taken down so as to provide an open` car should a closed car not be necessary. ln some parts of the country it is necessary under oreseiit conditions to' transport material such as coal for example long distances in open cars, withthe result that after the cars have been unloaded it is necessary to return the cars empty to the mines whereas with the present apparatus, ai'terthe cars have been unloaded, they can be readilyconverted into Iclosed cars and loaded with pe ishable goods which may be sent back t-o the mines or any other part of the country desired.

Briefly, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a portable framework adapted to be removably secured'to an open carrier such as a gondola car, which framework when in place constitutes a supporting` frame for a canopy, such as a canvas or tarpaulin,which can be thrown over the framework and `fastened to the sides or end of the car or other carrier soas to convert the same into a closed carrier.V

lin the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of this invention has been illustrated igure l shows in part sectional elevation a railway car with the present improved apl paratus applied thereto;

vFig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. l;

Fig. 4L is a sectional view showing one of the roof members Vfolded down in place in the position that the roof members assume when the apparatus is not in use; and

Figo is an enlarged view ofthe ends of the roof members showing the interlocking feature thereof which will be referred to in detail later on.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,y

l designates a gondola car having` sides 3 and bottom el, the car being supported on wheels 5 on a track 6. rThis car or carrier may be of any of the many well known types of open top railway cars. Removably secured to the sides 3 of this car are side members or stakes 7, these side members or stakes being received bymembers 8 secured to the inner side or outerside of the side members 3 of the car. The side members 7 are adjustable in the members 8 vertically with respect to the car and are held in adjusted position by spring pressed pins 9 adapted to engage notches l0 provided for that purpose in the stakes orside members 7. rThis construction is plainly shown in Fig. l.

The side members 7 have pivotally, secured to them roof members 11 and ll2. These members are preferably `made of metal tubing for lightness of construction, anc the members l1 entend longitudinally while the members l2 extend transversely of the car l. rlhe members ll are secured to the side members 7 in any suitable manner so long as the samemay be pivoted relatively to the side members while the members ll and 12 are secured to eachother by threaded couplings 13. From Figs. l and 2, it will be Patenten apr. is, roei.

moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 to form a support for a canopy la. From Fig.

2, it will be seen that the roof members,

have an interlocking connection, the memopposed roof members thereby forming a lock for the roof members to prevent collapse of the same. The roof members fur- .95 bers l2rat one side of the car being provided with a vnemberfl `having a cut out portion 16 which ispadapted to receive theend of the thermore it will be noticed when in locked position are in the form of an arch in order to strengthen the roof structure. The roof mem er or members carrying the locking member l5 also have secured to them a runway 17 extending lengthwise of the car.

'ilien the device is in operation it will be seen that the roof members are moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 with their ends interlocking and with the runway 17 inY ner, as shown at 18. With the parts in this position it will be apparent that an open car has been converted into a closed one. In addition to the parts already referred to l may provide, il' desired, a wire netting 19 between or illing up the spaces between the members 11 and 12 so that unauthorized removal of goods from the car is prevented, the members 11 being locked in their interlocked position by chain and padlock 2O and 21.

lf it'be desired to use the car as an open carrier the tarpaulin or canvas cover 14e may be removed, the root members unlocked and merely dropped down to the position shown in Fig. a for example on the inner side of the car.

Vhile l have shown the roof members 11 and 12 formed of tubing it is to be understood that the same may be made of any other suitable material, tubing merely having been shown for purposes of illustration. Tt is to be understood also that changes may be made in the details of construction described and illustrated within the scope oi' the present invention.

The roof members herein described are made in sections as will appear from the drawings, particularly with respect to their length. This is done for the reason that if it be desired to apply the topA to a longer car another section may readily be added thereby avoiding the necessity of providing roof members of different lengths for various length cars.

Jhat l claim is:

1. A portable top for a carrier, comprising side members removably secured to the carrier, roof members pivotally secured to said side members, said roof members interlocking to sustain the same in the form of an arched top or roof for the carrier, and a member secured to certain of said roof members to constitute a walk or runway for the top.

2. A portable top for a carrier, comprising sideV members removably secured to the carrier, interlocking roof members pivotally secured to the said side members, a runway secured to the roof members, and a removable cover supported by said roof members and secured to said carrier.

3. ln apparatus for converting an open carrier into a closed carrier, the combination o1 adjustable side members, means for securing the same to the carrier, means for holding the side members in adjusted position, frames pivotally secured to said side members andV having interlocking portions to sustain the roof members in the form of an arch above the carrier, a runway secured to the roof members, and an imperforate removable cover supported by the rooi members and secured to the carrier.

4. Tn apparatusfor converting an Open carrier into a closed carrier, the combina-- tion of adjustable side members, means jfor securing the same to the carrier, means for holding the side members in adjusted position, frames pivotally secured to said` side members and having interlocking portions for sustaining the root` members inthe form of an arch above the carrier, and an imperforate removable cover supported by the roof members and secured to the carrier.

5. In apparatus for converting an open carrier into a closed carrier, the combina-A tion of adjustable side members, means for securing the same to the carrier, mea-ns for holding the side members in adjusted position relatively to the carrier, and frames pivotally secured to said side members and-having interlockingportions sustaining the roof members in the form of an arch above the.

HERBERT S. THOMPSON. 

